DA launches petition against VAT increase

2018-02-24 17:52

Derrick Spies, Correspondent

Tshwane- The Democratic Alliance has launched a national petition to have the recently announced increase in the country’s Value Added Tax revoked.

Speaking at the launch at a rally in Soshanguve, Tshwane, DA leader Mmusi Maimane said the National Budget, tabled in Parliament this past Wednesday by Finance Minister, Malusi Gigaba, was the first actual, tangible action taken by government since the election of Cyril Ramaphosa last week.
Maimane claimed the budget showed that there was "no real change" from the ANC in government.
“It is undoubtedly one of the most anti-poor budgets we have ever seen – and it amounts to an assault on the poor and the jobless,” he said.
He said the VAT increase was government bullying ordinary South Africans into paying for its misdeeds.
“The ANC cannot steal public money and then expect us, the people, to pay for it,” he said

Maimane said instead of cutting the fat and waste in government – unnecessary expenditure and bloated departments – and focusing on growth, the ANC chose to cut spending on services to poor people, including funding for housing, education, policing, and local and provincial government.
“The raising of VAT by one percentage point in effect means that we will all be paying 7.14% more tax on every day goods and services,” he said.
Maimane said this, combined with a significant fuel levy increases, would make food and transport more expensive.
“It will now be more expensive to be unemployed in South Africa. Life will get harder for the most vulnerable in society over the coming months,” he said.

 https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/da-launches-petition-against-vat-increase-20180224